Activity #10 Choosing an Element of Web 2.0 to Explore

I decided to go into the "Health" venue and nose around a bit. I chose the site entitled "Peer Trainer," at http://www.peertrainer.com/ It is awesome! I have had an issue with my weight, for the majority of my life. This site has a free four week weight loss coaching program and you merely type in your email address, reply to a site-generated email which confirms your desire to join, and you're ready to go!
The site has tons of ads around the periphery of the screen, but the meat of the site is right in the middle of the visual propaganda. I was occassionally annoyed by a pop up ad that jumped right in the middle of an article I was trying to read. A simple click on the X and it disappeared. I think that I will delete my internet history and temporary folder after visiting this site. I will also run my internet security scanning program to ditch the cookies that are probably hooked on to my computer, because I am nosing around on Peer Trainer.

One of the aspects I really liked about this site is that they have a "weight loss Tip of the Day" email that will automatically come to me. Some of the topics from past emails included : "Learning to Breath"; "How to Stop a Late Night Eating Binge" and "How to Change Anything in Your Life". I joined the free, four week program called "Peer Trainer Boot Camp". From what I can tell, it teaches me how to apply the basics of weight loss to my daily life. I think that will be the true test of application...will I follow through or just read the stuff and run to Dario. The site is chock full of 1-3 minute videos that teach you how to do exercises using little or no equipment. It highlighted proper technique, breathing cues, muscle groups used, etc., so that you can see a demonstration and hear the important things to remember when executing the exercise. .
I also liked the links to various discussion posts about fitness, healthful living topics and questions generated from other folks trying to lose weight and stay healthy. These posts were archived by month and year, so there's more materials there as a resource.
I can also see this website as a resource for my peers in helping relieve stress. This Peer Trainer take into account the physiological aspects of weight loss as well as the psychology of losing weight and motivation to stick with it. I can see where this site can help those of us struggling with our weight by helping us develop and maintain healthy habits for eating, sleeping, moving, and living. I'm all for improving my quality of life! And considering that we are in the throws of the holiday season, this is as good a time to focus on healthy habits as any!

Activity 9- Google Docs!

Oh my goodness!

That was pretty simple. I hope the folks I sent a request to, actually go and add/edit the document I posted.

I can see this tool as an opportunity to build morale. It could be a great way for folks to let someone know what a great job he/she did on a presentation or project. One concern...by sending it out, you would have to trust folks not to put bizarre or inappropriate items on it.

By passing this type of tool along to an entire faculty, we could easily send a person personalized birthday wishes WITHOUT having to hide a card from them.

I love the fact that everyone has immediate access to updated versions of the information in the document. Word Documents attached to emails can be such a pain. This is going to be so much easier.

I can also see this as a way to RSVP to events. Let's say you were hosting a covered dish supper. By sending an invitation via Google Docs, people could see HOW MANY folks were coming and WHAT they were going to bring. This would make it so much easier and alleviate redundant dishes at the feast. It would also allow you to know how many people you needed to prepare for.

As I looked through the other applications offered in Google Docs, I was immediately drawn to the template for the photo album. I have an idea of putting one together with pet pictures. Each pet has to have some sort of "dress up" item on it. No pet's health or safety should be compromised in creating additions to the album. I think it would be a hoot to see what people come up with. Now, where did I put that pirate hat...wonder if I can find the cat? Hmmmmmmm!

Activity 8 - Finding Feeds that are Martha-Friendly

This activity made my head hurt. My ADD totally goes into overdrive when I am faced with so many choices. I pop from link to link; site to site. There are sooooo many cool ideas and sites out there.....it just overwhelms my mind and imagination.

I think it is best for me to look for RSS opportunities to hook into, as I visit my favorite websites. This may keep me from getting so sidetracked by all the buttons, bells and whistles that are on the web. I have to learn to focus and not become so distracted. If that's a concern for me, I can only imagine how tough it will be for today's students to stay on task and not get pulled away by some flashing line or advertisement.

As for my favorite feed, I searched feeds specifically for physical education and came up with several. My favorite link is posted as a Widget on this Blog. Some of the most skilled movers in the world are encouraging the "regular Joe's" to show off their unusual talents. They sprinter named Alfara that balanced a stick on his foot for 2 minutes...cracks me up.

Activity 7-RSS Feeds-Feedback about Experience

This was one of the most difficult parts of the 23-Things Project, for me. I bogged down and had a hard time bringing completion. I like the fact that I could go back and listen to the directions several times to help guide me through the process.

I found some cool feeds to access and I even shared/put a link to one of the sites I found, on my Facebook page. I love "think out of the box" ideas that cause people to be creative and encourage them to move!

I feel like I am usually VERY observant....but my favorite thing I found out during activity 8, is the fact that on my internet Home Page, under "Favorites"....I now have my RSS favorite feeds right where I can find them easily. I never even noticed the tab for "Feeds" beside my favorite sites. Duh...wonder what else I've been missing?


As for addressing the usefulness of this tool, in the classroom:
I can see how students assigned a group project can quickly share ideas and current info through feeds. If one member of the group spots info that another member may need for his/her portion of the project, sharing feeds with notes could be a great way to spread resources to the people who need them most.
I can also see how teachers could use RSS feeds to keep up with pertinent information/data, such as presidential election results; medal counts during the Olympics; hurricane tracking-severe weather; ACC Tournament results, etc.

#6 Technology and Teaching-Today's Thoughts

As I went through the Flickr applications and several of the web tools, that were linked through this site, it clarifies why our students are mesmerized by technology. It IS fun!
One thing that this experience brought to mind is the fact that along with that fun, comes a LOT of responsibility... we,as educators, MUST constantly reinforce appropriate uses, healthy boundaries, and ethics in creating and publishing work on the web. I can see where someone with an axe to grind could use some of these applications to really hurt someone's feelings....a form of internet "payback", if you will. I think the latest buzz word is "Cyber-Bullying". Once this kind of bell has been rung...there really is no taking it back.

On a more positive note, the Montagr in Smilebox.com would be a GREAT way to activley engage children in their learning. I could see how these applications can be used in a history class, to teach kids about specific eras in history. They could scavage photos from a topic they are studying, add captions to the photos to support their study, and even search for music clips from that era and play it in the background of their presentation. Or in a science class, they could pick a biome and post pictures, graphs, maps, captions, etc. and play sounds from that biome and animal calls from creatures that thrive, in that environment. The more senses we stimulate as we teach, the more likely the students are to internalize what we wish for them to learn....and we all know that sometimes the best way to really learn something is to teach about it.

As for personal application: Since I teach PE, it's a little harder for me to get the technology funded. The fact that so many of these applications are free, helps motivate me to get out of my box and try some of it. My biggest fear is in protecting the investment of the hardware I would need to bring it into my space. I feel vulnerable because my teaching space is so open and so big, things could just walk out and disappear forever. I also worry that one mis-thrown ball could smash a piece of equipment to the floor in a nano-second. Protecting whatever investment I make will be paramount...getting children to respect it and take ownership in protecting it too, will be crucial.
Getting hardware and equipment would also imply grant writing. I've not done much of that...so again, I've got to get out of my own comfort zone and dig a bit....assuming that I really am serious about getting myself AND my students into the world of digital citizenry.

I think it's time for me to get beyond pedometers and stopwatches and think MP3's with pre-recorded warm up exercises counted out in my voice or a student's voice; small DVD players showing critical elements of a sport skill, I want them to learn... with instant replays of professionals doing the skill so that they see excellence performed by personalities they watch on TV.
Better yet, wouldn't it be interesting to get some footage of today's popstars exercising to give added interest and motivation to get my students moving?

I think I can get out of the box....finding the time to invest, in order to hone the desire into a useable product, will be my obstacle.

The more I contemplate the notion of turning technological dreams into a real teaching tool, the more I realize that I have to continue to explore and strive to be the lifelong learner I'm encouraging the children to be. Postitive modeling...now there's a timeless element from old school thoughts!

Activity #5 I've been playing on Smilebox--Colors of my Vacation

I made a quick little slideshow by dragging and dropping photos into the appropriate window. Then I had three songs to pick from to jazz up my show. Click on this link and admire what a good camera and great software can do!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Okay, I've had time to play around with a couple of new applications through Flickr and I have to say, the funniest one offers a chance for you to Chia-tize a picture. You can grow green "Chia Pet" hair on the subject of your chosen pictures. I may just have to do this to one of my brothers-in-law, and put it in a frame to use during our family's annual Dirty Santa event at Christmas. I'm NOT sure that I'd sign the card, though. What a hoot.

Using Flickr

Setting up the Flickr account was simple.  I didn't like having to give out my URL and password in order to link Flickr to my blog, so I'm going to try to use the Blogger applications first.

Choosing my buddy icon for Flickr took quite a bit a time...not because the process was difficult, but because I got bogged down reminiscing over scads of photos on my computer.

I think the idea of tagging makes complete sense.  By linking each picture with certain key words or comments, I can pull them all up very easily for future reference.  I sort of have my email accounts at work set up that way, so the notion transposes easily within my mind.

I was a bit leary of putting my pictures on display for anybody and everybody.  I think it's because I don't feel like I have control over them once they are out there in the public web.  I guess I have to keep telling myself to "think globally."

Here's a link to my photo stream on Flickr.  The photos that I have posted are from my August, 2009 trip to Bermuda.  We've been four times and it just keeps getting better...more expensive, too.       

Colors of my vacation in Bermuda-2009

My husband and I went snorkeling at one of the top beaches on the island, Smith's Bay.  I found this underwater hole in the rock formations and submerged so that Rodger could get a photo of me peeping through.  It took us 5 or 6 attempts because I kept floating back up.  I finally just grabbed onto the rock and held myself in place, just long enough for him to snap the shot.

                    

The 2-3" long Silversides (a minnow-like bait fish) made a huge, swirling tornado around me.  It was so thick that I couldn't see the bottom or straight ahead.  It was one of my favorite adventures despite the fact that it was unnerving and disorienting, at the time.   I had to wait until they cleared away, before proceeding out to the reef.  The whole time I was in there, I kept thinking, "Man, I hope nothing decides to eat them for lunch; because he'll get more than he bargained for, when he finds me in the middle."

Please go check out my other photos that offer just a hint of the glorious colors from God's own pallet, on the beautiful island of Bermuda!